[hooked]

I was a kid in grade school when the Bruins won their cups. That was hockey. Boston was a hockey town. Orr was god.

I remember plastering my bedroom walls with those cheesy 4 color newsprint posters from the Globe and adjusting the rabbit ears to get WSBK to come in clear. Every day after school, it was street hockey until the lights came on. (or the ponds if they were frozen). I played baseball and football but hockey was king.

Orr, Esposito and Cheevers have been replaced by greedy, stubborn and stupid.

Maybe this will be a good thing in the long run. Eliminate the marginal talent, make the game affordable, reduce the constant player trading and make the game exciting. Who cares if it's never as big as baseball or football. I've never been interested in following the crowd.

Maybe I'll finally get something done around the house this winter. Probably not, since my son is on a Mite travel team. There will be plenty of hockey this Winter.

By the way, I touched the cup last Sunday. I pulled into the parking lot at West Beach in Beverly to check for bird action and there it was. The team shrink for the Lightning had it for the day and brought it to the beach.